October 30th 1981
by The Green Lady
Summary: James, Lily and Harry Potter prepare for next day’s Halloween not knowing that it’s their last night together.


_Author's note: Hey everyone, I'd just like to apologize for the delay in all my other stories. I know its been awhile since I last put up anything, but the past few weeks have been very stressful. This here is my apology fanfic to let you know I'm sorry for leaving you all hanging and thank you for reading, and yes- I will post soon._

_This story idea popped into my head when I was on J.K. Rowling's website and read about the 'NAQ' (Never asked question) which had to do with why Dumbledore had James' invisitbility cloak. It got me thinking about the night Voldemort came to Godric's Hollow and then I thought about the night before...and here it is..._

_Thanks again! -TFM_

**October 30th…1981**

"James- be careful." Lily Potter said as she sat on the couch in their small Godric's Hollow cottage. She was working intently on a red, gold and brown bundle in her lap with her wand and a pair of knitting needles.

James looked up at her from the floor, his glasses askew- "Come'on Lils, we're just fooling around."

"If he bumps his head on the coffee table again-"

"That was Sirius's fault, not mine."

A small baby with jet black hair came wobbling out from behind a chair and threw himself around his father's neck.

"AH! Harry! I wasn't ready-"

Harry giggled as he clung to James's windpipe, who gently freed himself with as minimal chocking as possible.

"RAAAAA!" he yelled as he lunged at his son, and Harry let out a terrified squeal and dove behind the chair again.

"How does this look?" Lily asked suddenly, holding up a small baby sized lion costume.

"It looks nice." James said. "Though I still don't see why you put so much work into it. It's not like we can just leave the house to go trick-or-treating."

"I know. But ever since you put the bug in his ear about Halloween, all he's wanted to do is dress up. And all the other children his age will be outside…"

James noted the sad note in Lily's voice and he got up from the floor to sit beside Lily on the couch. "We won't be in hiding forever." He said solemnly. "He'll be out trick-or-treating in no time, just not this year."

Lily sighed and rested her head against James' shoulder and he began to rub her back gently. "I just wish we weren't in hiding. I understand why we have to do it, but its terrible raising Harry in a life like this."

"At least we're safe." James said. "Voldemort will never find us now with the Fidelius Charm."

Lily was watching Harry as he peeked cautiously around the chair again.

"Dumbledore might drop by tomorrow." James said, trying to change the conversation.

"That would be nice." Lily said. "Do you know what time, he's coming?"

"No." James admitted.

Lily looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "I feel bad for all the children who won't be able to ring our doorbell for candy because of the intruders charm- but I suppose its necessary."

"Come'on Lily, you don't think Voldemort is going to ring the doorbell tomorrow evening and be standing there dressed as Dumbledore, with an open pillowcase, saying 'Trick or treat' do you?"

"That's not funny."

"Ah, I'm just kidding. If he walks in through that front door, I'll blast him right back out again." James laughed.

Lily smiled, but said nothing.

"Lils?" James asked. "What are you thinking about?"

"I know its selfish, but I would have loved for Harry to have seen some of the neighboring children dressed up as well, even if he couldn't participate."

"Next year." James said with the air of a Quidditch captain announcing a future victory. "He won't remember anything this year and so next Halloween-"

"But what if there isn't another Halloween?" Lily said softly.

James' face grew uncharacteristically stern. "Don't say that Lily, don't talk about things like that."

"But James, what if-"

James put a finger over her lips. "Shh." He said quietly. "Don't think I haven't thought about that either. I think about it all the time, but I remind myself that if that's what the future has in store for us- then I'm going to make each minute count."

"I'm frightened James. I know I should feel safe with the Charm, and people like Sirius, Dumbledore and the Order helping us- but I'm still scared."

James wrapped an arm around his young wife. "Me too." He said.

They sat that way for sometime until they were interrupted my Harry who came wobbling over to see why his parent's weren't playing with him.

He grabbed Lily's knee to brace himself and she smiled. "How's my little lion?"

Harry grinned and tried tugging the costume out of Lily's lap. "LY-IN!" he shouted.

"Yes, you're going to be a brave, noble lion." Lily agreed as she began dressing up Harry in his Halloween costume.

"RAAAAAAA!" Harry yelled, jumping about impatiently.

Lily finally managed to button him up and soon, a small yellow lion stood in front of them wiggling about.

"Oh my," Lily gasped in mock fear. "You're quite scary looking."

Harry grinned and turned to his father, his arms raised- his furry paws ready to strike.

"I'm the giant monster that eats young, little lions for dinner!" James said in a hungry, growling voice.

Harry did his best lion roar and threw himself at James who fought back the best he could. Lily was forced to laugh at the adorable site.

"I'm a giant, lion-eating animal!" James yelled as he held on tight to a struggling Harry.

"You're a stag." Lily smiled.

"A handsome stag who gives the best animal sex ever, isn't that right dear?" James winked.

Lily slapped his arm. "Don't listen to your father, Harry."

"Do you want a lesson on the meaning of life, Harry?" James asked.

"James!"

"Me and your mother! Right here! Right now!" James shouted, abandoning fighting off Harry again to throw himself ontop of Lily, pinning her under him on the couch.

"JAMES POTTER!" Lily shrieked. "YOUR SON IS RIGHT HERE, AND YOU ARE SETTING THE WORST LESSON EVER FOR HIM!"

"Aw, come'on Lils." James smiled as he gazed down on his wife.

There was a tugging on his pants leg, and James turned to see Harry standing there beside the couch in his lion costume, looking worried. "Don't hurt Mummy, Daddy."

"Yes." Lily smirked. "Don't hurt me James."

"I'm not hurting your Mummy, Harry." James said. "She enjoys stuff like this."

"James!"

"That's why she married me." James grinned.

"Get off of me!" Lily said angrily, but was unable to stop smiling.

James sat up, and got off Lily after giving her a quick kiss on the lips- and watched as Lily straightened up and began to ruffle Harry's mane. "Mummy's alright precious."

Harry began growling like a lion again and scampered off to the other side of the room.

"Careful, Harry!" Lily said.

James smiled as Lily got up and went over to Harry to protect him from the sharp of edge of the coffee table, by sitting in front of it.

"I'm going to go try and see if those apples you made are ready yet." James said, as he got up.

"I think they should be ready by now, but if they're still soft you can leave them out for a little while longer." Lily said as she moved a small dragon toy out of Harry's way.

James went into the kitchen and checked the tray of caramel apples that Lily had made for them all. They were still a bit soft as Lily had predicted but James took them out anyways.

"They look delicious." James said as he handed one to Lily, who inspected it carefully.

"I think they could do for a little bit longer-"

"APPLE!" Harry squealed as he saw it in his mother's hand and padded over, his face lit up.

"Harry seems to think they're fine, and I do too." James said as he picked one out for Harry.

"Make sure he has a small one-" Lily began and then rolled her eyes. "Oh James, please-"

"What?" James asked as he handed Harry the fattest, largest-carmel covered apple.

"His teeth will rot…and besides, he'll never finish it-"

"So what? At least he's gets to enjoy himself. What's wrong with spoiling him once in awhile?"

"Harry, you have to be careful." Lily said as Harry greedily took the apple from his father. "You have to take little bites and-"

Harry sunk his teeth into the apple with what James considered was the largest bite he was capable of.

"Just like your father." Lily smiled as she shook her head in amusement.

"What's that mean?" James asked, taking an equally large bite from his own apple, as he sat down beside Lily.

"Biting off more than you could chew."

"When was that?"

"The first day you met me." Lily laughed as she took a bite from her own apple.

James smiled in spite of himself.

Harry plodded over to his mother and flopped down beside her, gnawing his apple the best he could. Lily pulled him onto her lap and absentmindedly began ruffling his jet black hair that was sticking out abit through the lion's yarn mane.

James watched them thoughtfully. "You know," he said. "I think its times like these I can really appreciate us being all together. One day, Harry will be too big to sit in our laps, and he'll be off playing quidditch, and going off to school…"

"Mm." Lily agreed as she gazed down on her son.

"I mean- once he grows up, that's it. He won't be little anymore…." James watched his son thoughtfully. "I think I'll miss that."

Lily smiled warmly at him. "Me too."

James stared down at little Harry in his lion costume. Harry looked remarkably like him, everyone said so- but Harry's eyes were Lily's. Bright emerald green eyes that made them both so unique from everyone else in a crowd. James smiled and ran a hand through Harry's hair untidy cowlicked hair.

"You do that to your own hair so much; you do not need to do it for Harry as well." Lily said.

James ran his hand lightly through Lily's own bright red hair, as a comeback.

They sat there for sometime, all of them on the living room floor, staring at the crackling, dying fire that had been burning away in the chimney for sometime.

Harry eventually gave up trying to eat his enormous apple and gave it to James who finished it for him. Harry snuggled up against his mother, his hands and mouth still sticky from the caramel.

"Well Harry love, I think it's off to bed for you." Lily said softly.

"No…" Harry whined.

"Even lions need their sleep." Lily smiled. "Even brave, scary ones such as yourself."

"Raaaaa…." Harry said, and it was interrupted by a huge yawn.

"Your Mum is right, Harry. Its time for bed." James said.

Harry looked up at them with blurry, sleepy eyes. "Trick or treat?" he asked hopefully.

James and Lily exchanged glances.

"Not this time, son." James said. "Right now its time for bed."

Lily began to unbutton Harry's costume who made weak signs of protest.

"Scary….ly-in." Harry said wearily.

"Very scary." Lily agreed as she gently pulled off Harry's lion costume and began to fold it up. "And how very fitting, because tomorrow is Halloween…the scariest day of the year."

_-fini-_


End file.
